If You Wanted Me
Todd Agnew Lyrics
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Out on a lake paralyzed with fright
'Cause I'm afraid I might have laughed at Peter
Until he stepped into that stormy night
If you wanted me to walk on water
Why'd you make the solid ground seem so right?
Ruling over everything I see
'Cause I think I've fallen for more than Bathsheba
Your creation's a temptation for me
If you wanted me to love you only
Why'd you make the moonlight sparkle in her eyes?
I'll admit I'm glad I'm not John the Baptist
In a jail cell waiting for my day to die
'Cause at least down here I know what we're chasing
And it's hard to trust your dreams are so much better than mine
But if you wanted me to die to myself
Why'd you make me fall so deeply in love with life?
If you wanted me to surrender
Why'd you make these hands able to hold on so tight, so tight?
And if you wanted me to be like you
Why'd you make me like me?
In Todd Agnew's song "If You Wanted Me," the lyrics convey a sense of humility and recognition of the limitations of human understanding in relation to God's plans. Agnew notes that while he is glad that he is not a disciple of Jesus, King David, or John the Baptist, he recognizes that they were chosen for a specific purpose, despite their flaws. Agnew seems to be questioning God's choices and intentions, asking why they had to be so difficult and confusing.
In the first verse, Agnew mentions Peter, who famously walked on water with Jesus but then began to doubt and sank when he took his eyes off of Jesus. Peter represents the type of human weakness and lack of faith that Agnew is afraid he may have exhibited in that situation. In the second verse, Agnew mentions King David's affair with Bathsheba, which led to much bloodshed and tragedy in his family. Agnew acknowledges his own susceptibility to temptation and compares himself with David. In the third verse, Agnew mentions John the Baptist, who was imprisoned and later beheaded for his beliefs. Agnew seems to be reflecting on the difficulties of living a righteous life and questioning whether God's plans are always clear.
The chorus of the song seems to express frustration at God's seeming contradictions. If God wanted Agnew to do something, why did he make it seem so difficult or even impossible? The rhetorical questions in the chorus are meant to challenge our assumptions about God's will and the purpose of human suffering. Overall, the song encourages humility and recognition of our own limitations in understanding God's plans.
Line by Line Meaning
I’ll admit I'm glad we're not disciples
I express gratitude in not being one of the disciples of Jesus.
Out on a lake paralyzed with fright
The situation where the disciples and Jesus are on a boat and a storm hits causing everyone on the boat to be scared.
'Cause I'm afraid I might have laughed at Peter
I fear that I may have mocked Peter for his faith when he walks on water towards Jesus.
Until he stepped into that stormy night
Peter shows amazing faith when he walks on water towards Jesus in the middle of a storm.
If you wanted me to walk on water
If God wanted me to do something incredible or difficult.
Why'd you make the solid ground seem so right?
Why did God give me comfort and make me content with the status quo when He wants something extraordinary from me?
And I'll admit I'm glad I'm not King David
I express gratitude in not being King David who fell for temptation and committed adultery.
Ruling over everything I see
King David had a lot of power and influence over his kingdom.
'Cause I think I've fallen for more than Bathsheba
I believe I've sinned more often or worse than David did with Bathsheba.
Your creation's a temptation for me
The things around me, which God created, can be tempting and cause me to sin.
If you wanted me to love you only
If God wanted me to have an exclusive relationship with Him.
Why'd you make the moonlight sparkle in her eyes?
Why did God create beauty in other people or things that may cause me to have feelings for someone else other than Him?
I'll admit I'm glad I'm not John the Baptist
I express gratitude in not being John the Baptist who was imprisoned and awaiting execution.
In a jail cell waiting for my day to die
John the Baptist knew he was going to be executed soon while he was in prison.
'Cause at least down here I know what we're chasing
At least down here on earth, I know what I am chasing for but in heaven, it's difficult to comprehend.
And it's hard to trust your dreams are so much better than mine
It's challenging to trust that what God has in store for me is so much greater than what I dream of or plan for myself.
But if you wanted me to die to myself
If God wants me to die to my own desires.
Why'd you make me fall so deeply in love with life?
Why did God make me appreciate and love the life He's given me if He wants me to give it up to Him entirely?
If you wanted me to surrender
If God wanted me to submit to His will entirely.
Why'd you make these hands able to hold on so tight, so tight?
Why did God give me the capability to hold onto things so tightly that I cannot let go or surrender them to Him?
And if you wanted me to be like you
If God wants me to be more like Jesus, who is the son of God.
Why'd you make me like me?
Why am I not more like Jesus when that is what God wants from me?
Lyrics © ARDENT MUSIC LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CornerTalker
?ll admit I'm glad we're not disciples
Out on a lake paralyzed with fright
'Cause I'm afraid I might have laughed at Peter
Until he stepped into that stormy night
If you wanted me to walk on water
Why'd you make the solid ground seem so right?
And I'll admit I'm glad I'm not King David
Ruling over everything I see
'Cause I think I've fallen for more than Bathsheba
Your creation's a temptation for me
If you wanted me to love you only
Why'd you make the moonlight sparkle in her eyes?
I'll admit I'm glad I'm not John the Baptist
In a jail cell waiting for my day to die
'Cause at least down here I know what we're chasing
And it's hard to trust your dreams are so much better than mine
But if you wanted me to die to myself
Why'd you make me fall so deeply in love with life?
If you wanted me to surrender
Why'd you make these hands able to hold on so tight, so tight?
And if you wanted me to be like you
Why'd you make me like me?
Anastazia333
Powerful lyrics, honest & deep & eye-opening...speaks to the heart of all of us who seek to be something we cannot be without Christ living through us...thank-you for sharing this with His body....
CornerTalker
What amazing lyrics!